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New mural brightens Washington Street

April 29, 2011

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byline:
Rebeca Oliveira

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Gazette Photo by Rebeca Oliveira
George Anastos (bottom left), professional muralist Qwest (ladder) and volunteers Aziza Robinson-Goodnight and Janathen Lopez spend a sunny afternoon on April 21 painting the new mural on the corner of Washington Street and Chilcott Place.

A new mural is welcoming those coming into Egleston Square, thanks to a community effort.

The mural depicts a heart-shaped world surrounded by differently-colored hands, two columns of flags and groups of people of different ethnicities. A banner over the main scene reads “Pin Bonchince/Welcome to Egleston Sq.”

“It’s a bright welcome to Egleston Square,” Aziza Robinson-Goodnight, one of the painters, told the Gazette.

The mural on restaurant Pin Bochinche’s wall, on the corner of Washington Street and Chilcott Place, was painted last week, thanks to the efforts of over 15 volunteer painters and many more fund-raisers from Egleston Square Main Streets, Beantown Society, Teen Empowerment and the Egleston Square YMCA.

“This is the result of the hard work of many, many people with the goal of determining what our common dreams and hopes are,” Betsy Cowan, head of Egleston Square Main Streets (ESMS), told the Gazette.

“Painting a mural on the wall wasn’t just about the final result, but also the process,” Cowan said. “Young people worked together for weeks designing the mural, talking about their dreams for that space and their vision of Egleston.”

The community raised funds and hired a muralist, Qwest, who, along with organizer George Anastos and volunteers, spent many hours bringing it to life.

“It’s time to pay attention to right here a little bit more,” Anastos said.

“Last year, after a series of violent incidents in the neighborhood, many residents and merchants held a community meeting and expressed interest in working with young people from the neighborhood to create a mural as a sign of unity, hope and peace,” Cowan told the Gazette.

“Painting the mural on the side of Pin Bochinche serves the purpose both of welcoming visitors to Egleston Square, but more importantly, it is a symbol of all of the positive work and relationships that exist in this neighborhood,” she added.

Most of the flags included in the mural represent business owners in Egleston Square, Anastos said.